It's been a long time since I've tracked my food on here. I've written down little bits and pieces in a notebook, but I haven't been looking at the calories. Holy moly! I tracked today's breakfast, and I'm already up at almost 700 calories. And ... Read more

I used to be a morning exerciser. I woke up at 5:00 every day to get in a swim, a run, or a lifting session. And it was great. I had tons of energy, I stayed on track with my eating throughout the day...
So what happened??!?!?
I am no ... Read more

Tomorrow is a brand new day. Not only a new day, but a new chapter in my life. I am starting a job within walking distance, and I'll be getting over 10 hours a week back in time I won't be commuting to work. This is amazing.
Also, my grad ... Read more

I haven't been on Spark since June - it's the longest break I've taken since I started Sparking in 2009. And you know what? I can tell when I'm active on Spark and when I'm not. I've gained back the 10 pounds I lost after eating clean and vegan,... Read more

I am having SUCH a hard time adjusting to my new work schedule. My eating is totally off - making really poor choices with food, and having a hard time with a meal/snack schedule. And I definitely feel it. I'm tired, I have to work really hard t... Read more

First, I'm very excited to be working full-time again. It's a relief to have some income and some breathing room with our bills. However, I need to figure out how I will keep up my healthy eating and work it into my day. I am so used to eating a... Read more

One of my biggest challenges in keeping up with my Sparked self is motivation. Or rather, keeping my motivation up during the entire day. Evening is the hardest time for me, especially with my eating. I get SO hungry and just eat whatever. My ex... Read more

I think it's funny that the last time I wrote a blog, I was headed to a shower. Today's shower is for my best friend, and much less work than the last one. I don't have as much to do; I think this MOH has a better planning system than the other ... Read more

Today I'm going to a bridal shower for my future SIL. It is up in the area where I used to live, so I'm traveling today. I'm one of the bridesmaids, so I've done a lot of preparation for today. I also know what the food menu is going to look lik... Read more

I know that cookies and cakes are my weakness. When I decided to go on my diet cleanse, added sugar was one thing I knew I really wanted to cut out. And I was doing really well! I lost about a pound a week when I was carefully watching my sugar,... Read more

I already got in my 10-mile run and I'm feeling good. My legs are a bit sore from yesterday's workout, but I finished my run strong.
Today:
- drink lots of water
- track my food
- get some teaching stuff done... Read more

The blog I'm writing now is very different than the one I would have written last night. I was feeling pretty blah - I hadn't done a workout for a week, and my food choices were less than stellar. So after some journaling, prayer, and self-refle... Read more

I think I have the post-vacation blues. Hubs and I had a wonderful week in Florida, but now it's back to reality.
The only part of my diet that I stuck to last week was the "no coffee" part. Sheesh. But it's something! I really didn't want... Read more

For February, I used hard data to set goals and track my progress.
Goals - did I meet them?
PAWS shifts (the no-kill shelter where I volunteer) - goal was 8, I did 7.
Running miles - goal was 25, actual mileage was 29.37. I am thr... Read more

I almost put off today's run until tomorrow - I'm glad I didn't. Tomorrow is going to be ridiculously cold. This morning at 7:00am it was about 19F, tomorrow at 7:00am it's going to be 5F, with a windchill of -7F. I'm a trooper, but -7 is a bit ... Read more